We're All Mad Here
by Yukito-sama
Summary: Alice has grown up and nearly forgotten Wonderland. One day she sees the White Rabbit and follows him once more. This time Wonderland isn't a pleasent place to be. What could have happened?
1. A Fall Down Memory Lane

A Fall Down Memory Lane  
  
  
The sun glistened across the moor, feeding the swaying grass and flowers. A few clouds passed the crystal blue sky, much more like pillows than anything else. In the distance there was the sound of a slow moving stream, trickling along its way. In the middle of the moor was a large tree, shading the ground around it and cooling the air. Birds sang from its high branches as squirrels romped about in the lower ones, playing tag with each other.  
  
Alice lay in the midst of the flower filled field, watching the few clouds flutter by. Her once blonde hair had slowly turned to an earthy brown with age. She was shocked to see this, but she soon found out that the same thing had happened to her father. It was curious thought for Alice, and she wondered if one's hair could turn any color.  
  
"It would be quite strange," Alice mused to the black cat on her fifteenth birthday, "if one should wake and find their hair to be a different color."  
  
Two years prior Dinah had passed away, leaving her two kittens behind. Alice couldn't stop crying but soon decided that the black kitten and the white kitten would do; they were Dinah's children after all. She loved them all dearly and always told them tales of Wonderland and the world behind the Looking-Glass. Alice was happy that the cats would listen to her stories and she would punish them if it seemed they weren't paying attention or if they fell asleep.  
  
"You know it is quite rude to fall asleep when being spoken to. The both of you should be happy I'm in a good mood," Alice scolded one day. The two cats had fallen asleep while she was finishing one of her stories. "Fiona, Layla; wake up now. If you do not I wont give you any milk tonight." No matter what she said, neither of the cats would obey.  
  
Alice let out a sigh and finally sat up. Her long, brown hair tumbled into her face. Alice smiled and pushed it back, restraining it with two small clips. It was nearing lunch and she was growing hungry. That day her sister had arrived on holiday along with her husband. Alice was happy with the arrival but quickly grew weary of the conversations that they adults had amongst each other. True, Alice was nearing her sixteenth year, but the adults still considered her to be a child.  
  
A soft breeze rustled by Alice, tugging at her hair and at the grass around her. A few blades of grass lifted into the air, along with a few dead flowers. Alice watched as they floated away and she smiled softly. There were times when Alice would day dream and lose track of time. She missed Wonderland dearly, but was never able to return. There was no rabbit hole to be found and the looking-glass in the front room was solid. She couldn't figure out how to return to her friends or how she found them in the first place. Her memories of her adventures were beginning to fade.  
  
"Perhaps," Alice said, "I can never return." She looked at the distant tree and squinted, make believing that she could make out the White Rabbit or the Cheshire Cat in the branches. When she blinked all that was left were leaves and squirrels.  
  
"Alice dear! Come in for lunch," Alice's mother yelled from the back door.  
  
For a moment Alice sat in the moor, watching the tree sway with the wind. She let out a soft breath. There was something about that tree that haunted her. If Alice could turn her head just so and remember the days when her sister read to her amongst the flowers, she could almost remember the white rabbit scurrying by her. She smiled to herself and dismissed the thought as strange. There were rabbits in the moor and there were probably white rabbits as well. Nothing strange.  
  
With a groan Alice stood and began to brush her dress free of the grass. She wore a dress similar to what she had worn when she was younger. The blue dress came to her knees, pleated slightly and not as full as before. It fit wonderfully and she still had a white apron over it. Alice carried a few small things with her in the apron pockets; a needle and thread, her lead pencil, and a ring she had found near the stream. She didn't know why she kept them with her, but Alice felt like she needed them incase of an emergency.  
  
Alice stretched with a soft yawn and turned to look at the tree once more. "I suppose it was nothing more than a dream." Alice whispered, her mind turning back to the fleeting memories of tea parties and a smiling cat. Slowly she began to walk through the moor, inching her way towards her home. "I wish I could remember it, though. It seems like a nice dream. Maybe I made a friend or two. And what of the looking-glass? There is something very peculiar about it, but I can't remember what."  
  
Something suddenly brushed against Alice's leg, causing her to stop. She looked down in time to see a flash of white run by her. Alice's eyes lit up instantly and they scanned the top of the moor. The grass moved violently as something scurried through it. Something appeared, white and frightened, and quickly submerged itself back into the grass. What ever the thing was, it was hurrying towards the tree.  
  
"Can it be," Alice asked herself, turning and slowly beginning to walk back towards the tree. "Maybe I'm seeing this. Maybe, though, just maybe that was the White Rabbit." She paused for a moment and blinked. "Wait! Excuse me, Mr. Rabbit? Please wait!"  
  
Alice broke into a run towards the tree, watching the grass bend with the creature's hurried run. She called out for it, what ever it was, to stop for a moment. The creature didn't listen and suddenly disappeared around the tree. Alice stopped, somewhat miffed at the animal. 'It is very rude,' she thought, 'not to stop when one is asked.'  
  
The large tree was empty of all animals by this point. Alice didn't know if she scared them off or if they had left on their own. She shrugged away the thoughts and began to look for any sign of, what she hopped was, the White Rabbit. There were no foot prints though and not a single sign of any creature ever being near the tree.  
  
"Strange," Alice said to herself, "That creature must have come by this tree. I would have seen it run past it if it didn't."  
  
Alice continued to walk around the tree and she slowly came to a stop. A rather large hole sat at the base of the tree, disappearing into the earth. 'A rabbit hole,' Alice thought with a smile. She had studied the tree many times before, but never came by this rabbit hole. She began to wonder how long it took for a rabbit to make one. She hadn't been near the tree in a few days. "Maybe the rabbit made one when I wasn't looking," Alice said aloud.  
  
With a smile Alice knelt down and peered down the rabbit hole. There was nothing but endless darkness. "There must be something down there," Alice said. "It is a rabbit's home, after all." She got onto her hands and knees and leaned closer to the opening of the hole. Still she saw nothing. Alice began to grow frustrated and moved closer slowly.  
  
"Come now," Alice mused. "What was it that happened when I first saw the White Rabbit? How did I get to Wonderland?"  
  
As Alice continued to speak she leaned a little closer to the opening of the hole. Her fingers flexed against the lose dirt and tapped it in thought. Alice lowered her blue eyes to the ground. 'It shouldn't be this loose,' she thought. 'Unless something is hidden beneath. I wonder, what could it be?'  
  
Before Alice's thoughts could continue, the ground beneath her crumbled. She let out a scream of surprise and she suddenly fell, head first, into the rabbit hole. Her body tumbled through the air, wildly for a moment. The dress she wore fluttered and soon began to catch the air, forming into something similar to a parachute. Alice sighed, her heart racing, as her speeding decent slowed.  
  
"This doesn't seem right," Alice said, smoothing her hair and trying to fix her dress. She looked around and smiled to herself. All of this seemed all too familiar. Maps and cupboards began to float by her, along with chairs, coat hangers, and old hat boxes. A small music box spun around her, playing it's soft and joyous tune. Alice reached for it, but it quickly floated away.  
  
The sound of a chime caught Alice's attention. She managed to turn herself in time to see a large grandfather clock float along. The clock's hands spun wildly around it's face, so much so that it nearly made Alice dizzy. She sighed with the sound of annoyance in her voice. This didn't seem to be right at all. She had jumped from a few things before and she never made such a slow fall.  
  
"I wonder," Alice said to herself. "if this will never end. Maybe I'll just float through this rabbit hole. It seems familiar, though; the passing maps and cupboards. Perhaps there is something in the cupboards that can give me a clue."  
  
Alice turned about and found a cupboard floating along with her. She reached out and opened the doors. Much to her surprise it was full to the brim, so much so that a few things tumbled out. "Oh dear," Alice gasped, watching the bottles fall into the darkness below her. "I sure hope no one is below me. Those bottles might hit them."  
  
Turning back to the cupboard Alice reached in and pulled out one of the bottles. She turned it around so she could read the label. She let out a gasp and quickly returned the bottle back to it's place. "Who puts poison in a cupboard full of jams and jellies," Alice asked angrily. "Someone might take it and think it's for their bread. That would be a horrible thing."  
  
"Alice."  
  
In hearing her name Alice looked about her, half expecting to be awakened from this strange dream. Rather than what she had hoped, her eyes were greeted with a floating smile. She looked at it, rather confused by it's sudden appearance. Slowly, though, more began to appear around the smile. First there was a nose, and then one eye and then the other, after that the rest of the face appeared.  
  
"Cheshire puss?" Alice asked, cocking her head to one side. She blinked and slowly began to remember the strange cat. It could speak and had a tendency to disappear and reappear when ever it chose to do so.  
  
The large yellow eyes blinked and the cat's smile grew wider. "I see you do have some of your memories. You'll remember it all soon enough."  
  
Alice looked around and turned her eyes back to the Cheshire Cat's floating face. "Am I ever going to stop falling? It seems like I've been here for a long time now. This whole thing is making me quite light-headed."  
  
Slowly the Cheshire Cat's grin faded. The large eyes blinked for a moment and than the smile returned. "So, you want your feet on solid ground?"  
  
"Yes," Alice said. "That would be nice."  
  
A soft laugh came from the Cheshire Cat and Alice suddenly began to fall like a rock. A blood curling scream racked Alice's body as she clawed wildly at the air. The breath from her body seemed to be snatched away from her for a moment as the things around her disappeared. In the distance she could hear the Cat's laughter and the soft ticking of a clock.  
  
Suddenly Alice hit solid ground. She landed on a rather large chair, which cushioned her slightly. Alice sat for a moment, stunned and still rather frightened. She looked up and blinked. The only thing above her was the ceiling. There was no sign of the strange void she had fallen through.  
  
'That is quite odd,' Alice thought. She fixed her hair, slowly putting the small hair clips back into place. 'I don't know what to do. I don't think that happened the first time I came here. Than again, I don't remember much of it all.'  
  
Alice slipped off the large chair and looked around. Before her was a dimly lit hall. A large, running shadow danced across the walls. The shadow stopped and turned it's head so it looked down the hall. The shadow's nose twitched and the long ears raised as they listened for something. Alice watched as the shadow grew longer before stopping once more.  
  
"Mr. Rabbit?" Alice whispered. The shadow's ears perked up as it head the faint murmur. Alice smiled to herself but frowned when the shadow turned and began to run off once more. "Mr. Rabbit, please wait!"  
  
Without another word Alice broke into a run. She dashed down the dark hall, calling out to the White Rabbit. There were chairs thrown to the ground and tables turned every which way, having to dodge or jump over a few along the way. Here and there were pieces of tea cups and a few remains of a stew pot. Every so often she would catch a glimpse of his shadow, as if he was waiting for her to catch up enough before he would race off once more.  
  
Suddenly the hall came to an end and the walls were filled with doors of different sizes. Alice let out a cry of anger and she stomped her foot in annoyance. The White Rabbit was no where to be found and there was no sign that any of the doors had been opened. 'He disappeared,' she thought with a pout. Alice turned to begin her journey down the hall but found that the hall was no more, now she was face to face with a wall. "This wasn't here before!" Alice cried. She ran to the wall and tried to push it. "What's going on? Can anyone hear me? Hello?"  
  
Alice paused for a moment and turned around. This seemed strangely familiar. She let her mind wander, forcing it on and hoping it would uncover something. Slowly Alice began to piece together a memory that had been forgotten. She could remember this room, the very doors, and even which door was the only that could open, but they seemed to be missing.  
  
"Why don't you yell a little louder, my dear," a voice snickered. "I don't think anyone heard you."  
  
Alice spun around and froze. Before her was the familiar Cheshire Cat, but it looked different from what she remembered. From her dreams Alice saw a small cat; a chubby creature with a large smile, mischievous eyes, and earthy colored fur, which was striped in a darker color. Now, though, the Cheshire cat was leaner and bigger than before. His fur was now an array of gray colors but his eyes remained the same in every way.  
  
"Cheshire Puss, where am I?" Alice asked moving closer to the cat. She looked around the room. "This isn't the Wonderland I remember."  
  
The Cat blinked and it's smile suddenly appeared brightly. His yellow eyes followed Alice as she came closer and patted him on the head. "From what I can tell, you don't remember much of Wonderland to begin with, my dear Alice."  
  
Alice paused and looked down at the Cat. "I remember bits of it, not much I suppose, but from what I remember this isn't right! Things seem so different. You aren't the same either. It seems like something strange came Wonderland. What happened?"  
  
"You changed Alice." the Cat mused. He stood and began to walk to one of the walls. He looked at it for a moment and turned to Alice. The Cat stood no higher than the girl's knees, which was very strange for a cat, but seemed normal in a way.  
  
"What dose that have to do with anything?" Alice asked, cocking her head to one side. She stared at the smiling cat for a moment and then shook her head. "I am completely confused. Am I the reason why Wonderland has changed? Or is it because I've gotten older and this is how it was when I was younger?"  
  
The Cheshire Cat shrugged it's shoulders and gazed skyward for a moment. Those twinkling yellow eyes slowly turned back towards Alice and the cat smiled brightly. "Has anything else changed since you have grown older, Alice?"  
  
For a moment Alice paused. She met the Cheshire Cat's gaze and wondered what he was trying to say. She let out a sigh and pouted slightly. "Everything has changed, Cheshire-Puss. My whole family treats me different and my lovely cat, Dinah, is no longer with me. I've learned so much but school just keeps getting harder and harder. Even the color of my hair has changed. I always thought about Wonderland, but I couldn't remember. I was just hoping. . . ."  
  
With a cry of anguish Alice sat on the ground, ignoring the fact that it was against all she had been taught. She sniffled a little, trying to hold back the few tears she felt. Alice watched, though, as the Cheshire Cat's smile faded ever so slightly as his yellow eyes watched her. He approached the girl and sat beside her, looking her in the eye. They stared at each other for a moment, neither one speaking. Soon the rhythm of their breathe become one.  
  
The Cheshire Cat's eyes narrowed slightly and the familiar smile broadened over his furry face. "Did you hope that Wonderland was the same?"  
  
Alice blinked and turned her eyes away from the cat's. "I suppose I did." She bit her lip and looked around the room once more. "I always thought nothing could change in Wonderland. The tea party, the White Rabbit, and even you. No matter how much I tried to remember, everything seemed fuzzy, as if it was a dream. I began to think and believe it was." Alice turned her eyes back to the Cheshire Cat, who was still staring at her. "Is it? Is Wonderland just a dream? Am I sitting beside the big tree, napping like I did when I younger?"  
  
Laughter slowly poured for the Cheshire Cat's body. His eyes never wavered but they seemed to sparkle as he laughed. The cat cocked his head to one side, the light touching his face, just so, giving him a strange and evil look. "Dreams can become nightmares, Alice. Can't they?"  
  
"I suppose some can." Alice replied slowly. She was growing uncomfortable as the Cheshire cat stood and slowly began to walk around her as is she were prey. "But Wonderland couldn't become a nightmare. Its just a strange place, nothing more."  
  
"And dreams can become reality. Wouldn't you agree?" the Cat whispered, his whiskers brushing against Alice's cheek and neck, causing her to shudder.  
  
Swallowing hard Alice nodded. "Yes. I've seen so many dreams come true." she took in a heavy breath. "Just last week I was dreaming of having a new dress and the next day. . . ."  
  
"That is not my point," the Cheshire Cat said, cutting Alice off. He stopped his pacing and came to rest before Alice, his eyes boring into her own. "Wouldn't it be safe to say that sometimes a nightmare can come true?"  
  
Alice opened her mouth but couldn't find the words to reply. She stared the Cheshire Cat for a moment. She cleared her throat nervously and shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I've never seen a nightmare come true. That would be something strange to see."  
  
Slowly the Cheshire Cat began to walk forwards, inching closer to Alice. She quickly brought her legs to her chest, wrapping her arms around them nervously. Her eyes watched as the grey furred feline came to rest before her. The cat let out a soft purr, 'It's more of a growl,' Alice thought, and flicked his tail slowly.  
  
"What are you frightened of, Alice?" the Cheshire Cat asked, his voice sounding soft and far away.  
  
Alice closed her eyes and rested her chin on her knees. A sigh escaped her and she slowly opened her eyes and stared into the yellow orbs that belonged to the cat. "I never thought it before. I suppose I'm scared that I would never see my family again or. . . or that I'll die before I could see anything more than my home and our small town."  
  
A devilish grin crossed the Cat's face as he listened to Alice's confession. "How sweet." he said with a sense of sarcasm. "What about darkness, Alice? Are you afraid of that? Or what about falling from great heights?"  
  
"I don't know." Alice replied in a whisper. "I never thought much of it. Why?"  
  
"No reason." the Cat replied as his smile broadened.  
  
Before Alice could speak the ground around her suddenly began to crumble away. She let out a cry of surprise and jumped to her feet. The Cheshire Cat bounded away, through a door that seemed to open from no where. Alice made an effort to jump from her last piece of land to another, but the ground beneath her disappeared.  
  
A scream ripped through Alice's body as she fell, much like a rock would from mountain top, into the nothingness below her. Her mind echoed with her voice and her body ached. Tears formed in her eyes and Alice let out a sob like scream. Slowly her world grew hazy and began to fade. As the shadows surrounded her Alice soon realized that she was frightened of the darkness. Her world disappeared and it seemed like her mind went out like match. 


	2. Swimming in a Pool of Tears

**Swimming in a Pool of Tears**

Alice was drenched when she managed to open her eyes. Her hair was plastered to the sides of her face and around her neck. She slowly sat up and winced as a web of pain wrapped up her body. Alice looked down at herself and was frightened to find that there were small cuts up and down her arm. She turned it this way and that, wondering what had happened.

"You shouldn't move around too much." a soft voice said. Alice was amazed to find a mouse walking towards her; she was more amazed to find the mouse was an inch or two smaller than she was. The small furry creature looked at Alice and smiled softly. "If you move too much that big one will start bleeding again."

Alice looked where the mouse had pointed and gasp. A rather large laceration stretched from the palm of her hand to a little past her wrist. She sat where she was, her wounded arm out before her. To her surprise the little mouse went to work on it. The creature busied herself as she cleaned the small wounds and slowly wrapped cloth around her hand to cover the larger cut.

"Thank you very much." Alice whispered pulling her hand to her lap when the mouse was finished. "I don't know how I can repay you."

The mouse just smiled. "No need!" she tittered with a nod. She waved a hand in the direction behind Alice. "You should really go and thank the Mock Turtle! He was the one that found you."

Alice stared at the mouse for a moment. Her mind scurried through her memory only to find the memories of a strange creature crying. She was taken to the crying being by a Gryphon. Alice only remember the Gryphon because she had seen pictures of it in a book of old stories. The Gryphon was a kind and noble creature, happy to oblige when ever needed but held a sore spot for the Queen of Hearts.

"What about the Gryphon?" Alice asked quickly, nearly catching the mouse off guard. "Is he around at all? I remember him more than the Mock Turtle. I would surely love to see him again."

The mouse heaved a heavy sigh and shook her head. "You can't see the Gryphon."

Alice paused. "Why not?"

With a shrug and a loathsome sigh the mouse turned and began to walk away. "He seems to have disappeared. No one has seen him for days now."

"Where did he go?" Alice asked quickly climbing to her feet. A few locks of her wet hair pulled free from her face and neck, but her dress felt heavy around her. She groaned and looked back at the mouse. She seemed to be growing smaller with every step. "Can you tell me?"

"To the Duchess's house." the mouse replied, her voice growing softer. "He wished to go through the looking glass. He said he had to. . . ."

Suddenly the mouse disappeared, leaving her sentence unfinished. Alice had the urge to ask what he had to do, but caught herself. The mouse was no where to be found and she knew there was no use in asking a question to a person who wasn't even present. For a moment she stood there hoping the mouse would return but the creature never did.

Slowly Alice turned around and finally saw what was truly behind her. Her mouth fell open as she took in the splendor of the lush world. A large lake was just a few feet away, filled with fishes and lilies of many kinds. In the middle of the massive pond was a beautiful fountain made of porcelain, spewing water from the curves of it's openings. Beyond that, the other side of the lake, was a beautiful garden and a few wooden benches. Sitting on one of those elaborate benches was a lonely looking creature with it's face in it's hand.

'_They look like flippers to me_,' Alice thought, cocking her head to one side. She squinted and took a step forward. The creature resembled something like a large turtle, but it didn't look like it was an actual turtle. "A fake turtle?" Alice whispered. A smile quickly crossed her face and she clasped her hands together happily. "It's the Mock Turtle!" she applauded herself quickly and approached the edge of the lake. The lake seemed to go on forever and it appeared there was no way to cross it.

"I wonder how I can get to him." Alice said to herself. She eyed the Mock Turtle for a moment and noticed he was crying to himself. "If I called to him he couldn't possibly hear me, he seems to be crying too loud. I must thank him though and he might know why the Gryphon went in to Looking Glass Land." Alice didn't know what else to call the place beyond the looking glass. She always referred to it as that, but wondered if the people of Wonderland called it something different.

Alice looked at the water and saw her reflection. Her hair was starting to dry and looked like a mess. She frowned and feverishly ran her hands through her hair, trying to fix it the best she could. Alice replaced her hair pins and heaved a sigh. Smoothing her dress she lowered her eyes to the water and let out a short scream. Her reflection had been replaced by that of the Cheshire Cat's.

The Cheshire Cat smiled from beneath the water. "Did I scare you, Alice?"

"Of course you did." Alice yelled angrily. She glared at the cat, but he continued to smile. With a sigh she pointed across the lake. "How can I get to the Mock Turtle? There is no way around the lake or even over it. I don't feel like swimming, either, so don't even suggest that." Alice said angrily, trying to keep her voice down.

A soft laugh escaped the Cheshire Cat. "Dear, dear Alice! Have you learned nothing from visiting Wonderland?" The Cheshire Cat suddenly began to walk like a reflection across the water. Suddenly he appeared above the surface and turned slowly. He walked on the water's surface with ease and grace. "Nothing is like it is in your world. Cats and flowers don't talk and surely there isn't such a creature like a mock turtle, is there?"

"No, I suppose there isn't." Alice replied softly. She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. "But how am I to cross this lake? I must get to the Mock Turtle."

The Cat smiled happily and trotted on the water's surface. He stopped and glanced over his shoulder at Alice. "Do as I do and nothing will go wrong."

"I don't know." Alice replied softly. She gazed down into the still water, looking at her reflection for a moment. For a moment it seemed like she was gazing into a mirror. There was no sign of anything below the water and, as the Cheshire Cat continued to walk on the water's surface, it never rippled, even with the wind. "Will I fall through?"

The Cheshire Cat paused and glanced at her. The same wicked smile crossed his furry face, his eyes glistening ever so slightly. "Only if you truly wish, Alice. Is that what you want?"

Alice narrowed her eyes. "How absurd! Of course I don't want to fall in! I'm just starting to dry off and I don't want to get wet again."

With a swish of his gray tail the Cheshire Cat continued his walk. "Well, all you must do is believe, Alice. Believe you won't fall in and you won't." He hoped onto the fountain and looked at Alice. No matter how far he seemed to go, his voice was as clear as a bell in Alice's ear. The Cat gave a knowing smile and turned his head slightly. "Can you make it to me?"

"I don't. . . ." Alice whispered, gazing down at the water.

"You shouldn't think about it, Alice." the Cat hissed. "Just believe you can, and you will. You were able to do it when you first came to Wonderland."

Alice looked at her reflection and was surprised to see a younger version of herself. Her reflection smiled brightly, her brown eyes sparkling and her blond hair still done properly. Alice stared wide eyed as her reflection waved happily at her, laughing cheerfully as she ran towards the center of the lake. Without a second thought she dashed after her reflection trying to keep an eye on the blond child. Once or twice Alice had to stop from calling out to her, wondering what people would think if she was calling out to her own reflection.

"Beautiful!" the Cheshire Cat purred. "I see my faith was well placed, dear Alice."

"Oh this is so dreadful." Alice took a seat next to the Cheshire Cat and looked down at her reflection, slightly disappointed to see her usual self. "I'm not sure if can walk across the lake, Cheshire Puss. My arms hurt and the Mouse told me not to move too much or my wounds will open. It would be a horrible thing to get blood in the water, I doubt the little fish will like that."

The Cheshire Cat grinned and cocked his head. "You don't have to go too far now, Alice; look behind you."

Alice glanced over her shoulder and let out a startled gasp. The Mock Turtle was only a few yards away, still crying and whimpering into its flippers. Alice began to look around and was surprised to find that the lake was before them and a wooden bench replaced the fountain they had once been sitting on. She turned to the Cheshire Cat but he was no where in sight.

"Damn that cat," Alice muttered with a frown. "I do wish he would stay with me long enough so I could ask him a question. On the other hand maybe the Mock Turtle would have more answers then that mangy feline."

Smoothing out her dress and taking in a deep breath Alice hurried over to the Mock Turtle. The creature looked pitiful and rather uncomfortable as it sat, wailing by this point, on a bench that seemed too small for something his size. Alice stood before him for a few moments, trying to catch his attention by clearing her throat. The Mock Turtle's cries seemed to grow louder every time she made a sound and it was beginning to irritate her.

"Oh do calm down." Alice sat beside the Mock Turtle, feeling rather small beside the creature. She placed a reassuring hand on his arm, "It can't be all that bad."

"How can you say that?" the Mock Turtle sniffled. "You don't even know why I'm crying."

Alice removed her hand from the creature's arm and looked at the creature modestly. "That may be true but there is always something much worse."

"Like what?" the Mock turtle said with a quizzical look.

"Oh!" Alice paused. '_You better come up with something quick or he won't answer your questions!_' She nodded to herself and looked the Mock Turtle in the eye. "Well, you could be made into soup."

The Mock Turtle's eyes grew wide in abhorrence. "Oh that is much, much worse! Dear me, I'll be made into soup." New tears sprang forth in the creature's eyes and he began to wail once more. "Oh I do not want to be made into soup."

'_Now you've done it; you've made it worse._' Alice stood up and looked at the Mock Turtle with a great big smile. "Look on the bright side."

"What bright side?" he replied in between sobs.

"I've made it back to Wonderland!"

"What's so great about that? I've been in Wonderland for years."

Alice frowned angrily. "Oh you're helpless. If you answer a question I'll leave you alone so you can cry in peace."

"I suppose that's fair."

"Why did Gryphon go through the looking glass?"

"He was searching for something. Or was it someone?"

"Which was it?"

The Mock Turtle began to cry once more. Try as she did Alice couldn't manage to calm the creature down. She turned and began to walk away in a huff; not quite sure where she was headed but she was in a hurry to get there.


End file.
